Leveller bar for coking ovens

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a levelling bar for coking ovens, for levelling the cones of discharged coal which form under the filling holes of the oven chamber during the filling process. The levelling bar consists of two cheeks, such as plates ( 1 ), which extend essentially over the entire length of the ranged at a distance from each other depending on the width of the oven chamber, and parallel to each other. They are also interconnected and are essentially vertical. The levelling bar also has transversal coal carriers ( 2 ) which are arranged in the intermediate space delimited by the cheeks ( 1 ) at a mutual distance, one behind the other and which only extend over part of the cross-sectional surface of the levelling bar formed between he cheeks ( 1 ). The height ( 3 ) of the coal carriers ( 2 ), which take up the entire interval between the cheeks, is less than the height (H) of the cheeks ( 1 ) and the cheek form a gas channel ( 6 ) above the coal carriers ( 2 ) which is essentially free of built-in components.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage of PCT/EP99/04578 filed 2 Jul. 1999and is based upon a German national application 198 30 382.3 of 8 Jul.1998 under the International Convention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a levelling bar for coking ovens.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

EP 0 483 497 B1 describes a coke oven levelling bar which comprises twomutually parallel side members extending in the longitudinal directionof the oven and composed of sheet metal. In the space bounded by theside members at a uniform distance, transverse coal entrainers in theform of sheet metal walls of the height of the side members arearranged.

Shortly before the coal pile cone forming during the filling process andbelow the filling opening of the coke oven chamber reaches the gascollecting space which is to be maintained free, the levelling bar isinserted through the leveller door opening in the coke oven chamber andis moved back and forth to level out the coal pile cone. So that thefree gas collection space above the coal is not blocked to aconsiderable extent, after the insertion of the levelling bar into theoven chamber during the filling process, the coal entrainers do notextend over the entire width of the intervening space between the twoside members the coal entrainers are alternately offset to one anotherand are arranged on one or the other of the two side members. The sidemembers are thus interconnected by spacer bars.

With this levelling bar it has been found that during the levelling, inspite of the alternating spaces of the levelling bar between the sidemembers and the free ends of the coal entrainers, these alternatingspaces can be blocked by the coal to be levelled so that the filling gasno longer can be sucked out unhindered to the collector. As aconsequence, the emissions are more or less strongly uncontrolled sincethe filling gas is no longer freely sucked out via the riser pipe.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a levelling bar with which atall times during the levelling operation a sufficiently free gas channelis guaranteed in the gas collecting space and simultaneously a gooddegree of oven filling is guaranteed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This object is attained with a levelling bar for a coking oven forspreading the coal pile cone formed during the filling process under thefilling openings of the oven chamber. The levelling bar is comprised oftwo substantially vertically arranged side members, like sheet metalplates, parallel to one another and spaced apart in dependence upon thewidth of the oven chamber and extending substantially the full length ofthe oven chamber. The bar is provided with coal entrainers extendingtransversely and arranged one behind the other at a mutual spacing inthe intervening space bounded by the side members, which extend onlyover a part of the cross sectional area of the levelling bar formedbetween the side members. The heights of the coal entrainers over theentire distance between the side members is less than the height (H) ofthe side members. The side members above the coal entrainers form a gaspassage which is substantially baffle free.

The height of the coal entrainers can correspond to at most half theheight (H) of the side members. The number of coal entrainers is atleast so great that the sum of all partial web surfaces corresponds tothe sum of all full web surfaces of coal entrainers whose heights extendabove the height (H) of the side members. The spacing of the coalentrainers can correspond to the height of the coal entrainers.

According to the invention the coal entrainers can have differentheights. The coal entrainers can be affixed to the side members at anangle deviating from the vertical. The coal entrainers can be movablyfastened on the side members. The cross sections of the coal entrainerscan be wedge shaped or otherwise profiled or perforated. The support andguide rollers for the levelling bar can have a bevel.

The support and guide rollers can be laterally shiftable by a shiftingdevice. The side members can have openings and in the openings ribs canbe arranged or ribs can laterally bound the openings. The ribs can bearranged at an angle to the side members deviating from 0°.

The cheeks of the levelling bar can widen outwardly at their front end.

The levelling bar according to the invention affords the advantage thatduring the levelling process, a free gas channel is formed between theside members of the levelling bar in the intervening space and throughwhich the filling gas can flow off unhindered horizontally to the riserpipe or to the collector.

This gas channel is especially dependably formed when, according to afurther feature of the invention, the height of the coal entrainer is atmost half the height of the side members.

Since the levelling bar is open at the front, it shifts into the coalpile cone and entrains the coal pile cone with the coal entrainers.There is no build up, like with known levelling bars, of a coal pilecone ahead of the levelling bar. So that the levelling bar will have asufficient transport capacity, according to the invention, the number ofcoal entrainers is increased so that the transport capacity of thelevelling bar according to the invention has at least the transportcapacity of the known levelling bar (EP 0 483 497 B1), the number ofcoal entrainers is at least so great so that the sum of all partialtransverse web areas corresponds to the sum of the full transverse webarea of the coal entrainers whose heights extend over the height of theside members.

At a maximum the number of coal entrainer should be that which gives aspacing of the coal entrainer corresponding to the heights thereof. Withthis embodiment to insure that the coal in all cases will fall throughthe coal entrainer into and through the cells formed by the coalentrainer. No coal bridges can build up on the coal entrainers.

Because of the increased number of coal entrainers with the levellingbar according to the invention, the transport capacity is increased sothat with each back and forth movement of the levelling bar more coal istransported.

In this manner, continued formation of the coal pile cone under thefilling openings is precluded to the greatest possible extent. When thelevelling bar is moved with a higher frequency than has hitherto beencustomary in the oven chamber, pile cone formation in the levelling barheight is avoided.

The coal entrainers arranged one behind the other can also havedifferent heights. With this configuration, high pile ups of coal aheadof the coal entrainers can be precluded. The coal falls over a coalentrainer of reduced height into the cell lying rearwardly of that coalentrainer without the build up of a pile of the coal. Thus it is insuredthat above the coal which overflows the coal entrainer, a free gaschannel is maintained within the levelling bar for carrying away thefilling gas.

It is also possible to affix the coal entrainers at an angle deviatingfrom the vertical to the side members of the levelling bar. Thus severalcoal entrainers can be arranged with their upper edges inclined towardthe rear end of the levelling bar and other coal entrainers with theirupper edges inclined toward the front end of the levelling bar. With theinclined arrangement toward the rear, the overflow of coal isfacilitated during the forward movement of the levelling bar. If thecoal entrainers are inclined forwardly, the coal in this region issomewhat pressed down and the levelling bar experiences a certain upwardforce. In addition, the inclined coal entrainers function as bafflesduring the filling process. The coal is passed through the coalentrainers from the filling holes into the regions between the fillingholes. In this manner the coal pile cone formation is reduced.

It is also possible to arrange the coal entrainers so that they aremovable. Thus, for example, a part of the coal entrainers can be movablymounted in their upper or lower regions on the side members of thelevelling bar. With each forward or back displacement of the levellingbar they alter their positions and level the coal in the correspondinginclined position. So that the coal entrainers cannot be orientedhorizontally, the inclined positions can be limited by an abutment.

A further possibility resides in that the coal entrainers are configuredlike wedges. In that case, it is possible for the wedge point to beoriented upwardly or downwardly. Such a wedge shape facilitatesconstruction of the levelling bar since the wedge shaped coal entrainersenable reduction in the material thickness.

The cheeks of the levelling bar can also be configured with a wedgeshape. In that case, the statics of the levelling bar are improved. Whenthe wedge point is oriented downwardly toward the coal to be levelled,the coal cannot jam between the wedge shaped cheeks since theintervening space widens downwardly.

So that the force generated by the coal on the levelling bar will bereduced during the filling process, the upper edges of the cheeks and/orof the coal entrainers can be bevelled on one side or on both sides.

The levelling bar stroke, the levelling frequency, the number, spacingand heights of the coal entrainers must be mutually determined basedupon the coal mass flow of the filling unit.

It is known that the levelling process below the filling holes of theoven chamber upon the coal pile cone results in pile cone stripesremaining between the chamber walls and the cheeks of the levelling bar.Apart from hindering the gas discharge, these coal pile stripes can giverise to graphite deposits in the coal collecting space in these regions.One possibility for avoiding these pile cone stripes is to impart aswinging movement or wobbling movement to the levelling bar during thelevelling process. To achieve this, the support and guide rollers of thelevelling bar can be configured with a bevel which generates theoscillating or wobbling movement of the levelling bar. Anotherpossibility for avoiding the pile cone stripes is to form the mountingand guide rollers with a lateral shifting unit. Because of thisshiftability, the levelling bar during the levelling process eliminatesthe pile cone stripes on the two sides of the gas collecting space. Theelimination of the pile cone stripes can be improved by providingoutwardly extending ribs on the cheeks or forming them from corrugatedsheet.

According to a further feature of the invention, the cheeks haveopenings. A lateral coal infall is possible through these openings intothe cells formed between the coal entrainers. The effectivity of thelevelling process is thereby enhanced.

The openings can be made sufficiently large that they are interruptedonly by ribs on which the coal entrainers are fastened. The ribs alsocan be inclined.

The levelling bar, in this embodiment, is formed as a rectangularcellular girder in cross section which blocks the gas collecting spaceonly to a minor extend during the levelling process. Thus a plugging ofthe gas collecting space with coal is especially effectively limited andthe filling gases which are produced during the filling process can becarried off in the longitudinal direction of the oven unhindered.Because the cellular construction of the levelling bar, a lateralthroughflow of the levelling bar, i.e. transverse, to the ovenlongitudinal direction is also possible.

The individual ribs which are arranged at the openings of the cheeks canbe oriented at an angle to the cheeks. In this manner, coal on the sidesof the coke oven, chamber can be better stripped off.

The side members of the levelling bar can widen outwardly at their frontends.

In this configuration, the coal is stripped at the sides of the cokeoven chamber at the levelling bar points directly.

According to a further feature of the invention, the levelling bar hasat its front end one or more guide stirrups. The guide stirrups or guidestirrups serve to enable the levelling bar to be passed effectivelythrough the leveler opening.

In this manner, the levelling bar can be inserted into the coal pilecone with its front end until the guide stirrup or guide stirrups openwithout the build up of a coal dam. The subsequent coal entrainer willthen displace the coal pile cone and level the coal filling.

At the front end of the levelling bar or in the region of the cheekopenings, movable coal scrapers can be arranged. Because of the effectof the forces of the coking coal on the coal scrapers during thebackward movement of the levelling bar, the movable coal scrapers arepressed onto the walls of the coke oven chamber. In a new forwarddisplacement of the levelling bar, the pile cone strips are carried awayfrom the furnace walls by the opened coal scrapers. Upon removal of thelevelling bar from the oven chamber, the laterally swung out coalscrapers are brought into a closed position by the frame of the levelleropening. Upon insertion into the next oven chamber, the coal scraperscan facilitate insertion as guide stirrups.

The levelling process can, according to the invention, be improved bythe use of a gas under pressure.

For this purpose, fluid supply ducts are provided on the cheeks of thelevelling bar with nozzles. The gas serves, in the first instance, toblow away the pile cone stripes which remain as the levelling bar passesthrough the coal pile cone. The nozzles can be at the same leveldistributed over the levelling bar length one after the other and/or canbe arranged one above another.

It is especially advantageous when the nozzles are combined with alevelling bar which has openings in the side members. Then the blownaway coal can pass through the openings into the intervening spacebetween the side members and can be transported by the coal entrainers.

As has already been indicated, with the levelling bar of the invention agas passage is guaranteed in the gas collecting space through which thefilling gas can be sucked off. In the region of the leveller opening ofthe respective oven chamber, however, there is the danger that false airwill be sucked through the gas passage. Thus the invention provides thatthe levelling bar can be sealed by a sealing and guide box. This sealingand guide box should have baffle partition walls extending from aboveuntil just above the coal entrainers and which are connected by asealing plate and thus seal the gas passage. Under the levelling bar thesealing is completed by a sealing plate.

To further improve the sealing of the levelling bar, the levelling barcan be closed to form a housing which sealingly engages the levellerdoor opening.

In the embodiment of the levelling bar in which the coal entrainers areof different heights, the sealing and guide box can be equipped withhinges that allow the relevant partitions of the sealing and guide boxto swing back and forth and thus compensate for the height difference ofthe coal entrainers. In addition, the movable partitions can be offsetfrom the underpressure side so that the underpressure effect can belimited. To increase the sealing effect, several sealing and guide boxescan also be arranged one behind the other. Each sealing and guide boxshould be larger than the distance between the coal entrainers so thatat least two coal entrainers are covered by the sealing and guide box.

To further enhance the gas channel formation, the coal entrainers can beprovided with openings. The number of openings is optional so that, inan extreme case the coal entrainer is configured as a perforated sheetmetal plate. Advantageously, openings are arranged in an upper portionof the coal entrainer or the openings in the upper portion are madelarger. The gas passage between the side members are thus partiallyenlarged in the region of the coal entrainer. It is also possible tomake the coal entrainer exactly as high as the side members and to forma gas passage by openings in the coal entrainers.

The aforementioned examples and the claimed features provided aninventive construction whose components with respect to dimensions,shapes, choice of materials and technical conceptions have no speciallimitations so that they can be used in the respective field with anyknown criteria in an unlimited manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Further details, features and advantages of the subject matter of theinvention are given in the following description of the associateddrawing in which, by way of example, preferred embodiments of thelevelling bar with gas passage are illustrated. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the levelling baraccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the levellingbar;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of parts of a third levelling bar withcoal entrainers set at a bias;

FIG. 4 is a fourth embodiment of the levelling bar;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the mounting and guide rollers of a levellingbar;

FIG. 6 is a shifting device for the mounting and guide rollers of alevelling bar;

FIG. 7 is a fifth embodiment of a levelling bar in a perspectiveillustration;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a movable coal scraper of a levelling bar;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a levelling bar with conduits andnozzles;

FIG. 10 is the arrangement of a sealing and guide box for a levellingbar; and

FIG. 11 is a sixth embodiment of a levelling bars with openings in thecoal entrainers.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a levelling bar of the side members 1 and coal entrainer 2arranged between the cheeks 1. The heights 3 of the coal entrainers 2are significantly less than the height H of the side members 1. The coalentrainers 2 are arranged one behind the other at a spacing 5. Its crossbar area 4 covers only a minor part of the space between the sidemembers 1 so that they form a free gas passage 6.

From FIG. 2 it is apparent that between the side members 1 coalentrainers 2 are arranged one behind the other and have differentheights 3. In this embodiment it is advantageous that the first, lowestcoal entrainer 2 does not cause a pile up of any coal hill ahead of it.The overflowing coal can fill into the next stage and is there furthertransported. Above the coal entrainer 2, at every point in time, a freegas passage 6 is provided.

FIG. 3 shows, for example, coal entrainers 2 which are affixed at anglesdeviating from the vertical on the side members 1. With the coalentrainers 2 during the filling process, the coking coal falling intothe oven chamber is distributed in the oven and thus the pile coneformation is counteracted.

FIG. 4 shows, a wedge-shaped embodiment of the coal entrainers 2 and theside members 1. With this arrangement a plugging of the transport cellsformed between the coal entrainers by the coking coal is reduced sincethe throughflow area for the falling coal widens downwardly.

FIG. 5 shows the mounting of the levelling bar with the cheeks 1 and thecoal entrainer 2. The mounting and guide rollers 8 have a bevel 7. Theedges of the bearing and guide rollers 8 which guide the levelling bar,because of the bevel 7, at each rotation has a change in tracking as thelevelling bar is moved back and forth. As a consequence, the levellingbar is laterally shifted during the levelling operation to eliminatepossible pile cone strip formation beneath the filling holes and betweenthe side members 1 and the oven walls.

FIG. 6 shows bearing and guide rollers 8 which are laterally shiftableby a shifting device 9. As a consequence, it is also possible to imparta lateral movement to the levelling bar and spread out any pile conestrips which might be formed.

In FIG. 7, a levelling bar has been illustrated whose cheeks 1 haveopenings 11 through the openings 11, coal can fall into the transportcells of the levelling bar between the coal entrainers 2 and during thelevelling stroke can be distributed. The openings 11 are bounded by ribs12 on which the coal entrainer 2 are affixed. The ribs 12 can bearranged at an angle to the side members 1. As a result, the coal can beguided more effectively into the transport cells between the coalentrainer. On the side members 1, a guide stirrup 13 can be arrangedwhich eases the introduction of the levelling bar into the levelleropening.

FIG. 8 shows that the front end of the levelling bar on the side members1, movable coal scrapers 15 with the shanks 16 and 17 can be provided.The coal scrapers 15 rotate in a pivot 18. By the force generated by thecoking coal during the rearwood movement of the levelling bar, the coalscrapers 15 is pressed via the shanks 16 and 17 against the wall of thecoke oven chamber. Upon withdrawal of the levelling bar out of the oven,the coal scrapers 15 are brought through the frame of the levelleropening into the closed position shown in the lower part of FIG. 8.

Upon insertion into the next furnace chamber, the coal scraper 15assumes the function of a guide stirrup.

FIG. 9 shows that on the side members 1 conduits 20 with nozzles 21 canbe arranged. Through the nozzles 21, a gas under pressure, e.g. nitrogencan be blown in during levelling so that the lateral piled cone stripscan be eliminated or can never form. The nozzles 21 can be arrangedoptionally. Upon blockage of the nozzles additional swinging or wobblingmovements are generated.

From FIG. 10 it will be apparent that the gas passage 6 is sealed by asealing and guide box 23. The gas passage 6 is largely sealed by asuspended sealing plate 25 of the sealing box 23 which is movable withthe bearing or mounting shaft 26 and the bulk heated walls 27. Below theside members 1 and the coal entrainer 2, a sealing plate 28 is provided.This plate 28 can be part of the housing 24 which increases thelevelling bar and engages sealingly against the levelling door openingwhich has not been shown. By this sealing, undesirable air entry intothe oven during the gas evacuation is avoided.

FIG. 11 shows coal entrainer 2 which have openings 29 and 30. Throughthe openings 29 and 30, the filling gas can emerge during the levellingprocess.

1. A leveling bar for a coking oven, comprising: a pair of mutuallyparallel spaced apart substantially vertical side members extending overa length of a coke oven chamber; a multiplicity of coal entrainersspaced apart over the lengths of said side members, extendingtransversely between said side members, connected to said side membersand occupying only a part of a cross sectional area of the leveling bar,said coal entrainers having heights of the entire spacing between saidside members which are at most half the height of said side members; anda baffle-free gas passage formed in said leveling bar between said sidemembers and above said coal entrainers over substantially the length ofsaid leveling bar.
 2. The leveling bar defined in claim 1 wherein thenumber of said coal entrainers is selected so that a sum of surfaces ofsaid coal entrainers exposed between said side members is at least equalto the sum of the exposed surfaces of coal entrainers of conventionalleveling bars without the passage.
 3. The leveling bar defined in claim1 wherein the coal entrainers are spaced apart by a distancecorresponding to the height of the coal entrainers.
 4. The leveling bardefined in claim 1 wherein the coal entrainers have different heights.5. The leveling bar defined in claim 1 wherein the coal entrainers areoriented at angles to the vertical.
 6. The leveling bar defined in claim1 wherein the side members have wedge-shaped cross sections.
 7. Theleveling bar defined in claim 1 wherein said side members areperforated.
 8. The leveling bar defined in claim 1, further comprisingsupport and guide rollers engaging said leveling bar, said rollershaving a bevel.
 9. The leveling bar defined in claim 8, furthercomprising a shifting device for laterally shifting said support andguide rollers.
 10. The leveling bar defined in claim 1 wherein said sidemembers have openings laterally bounded by ribs oriented at angles tothe side members.
 11. The leveling bar defined in claim 1 wherein saidentrainers have openings.
 12. The leveling bar defined in claim 1wherein the leveling bar is sealed with a sealing and guide box.
 13. Theleveling bar defined in claim 12 wherein the sealing and guide box hassupport shafts for the leveling bar.
 14. A leveling bar for a cokingoven, comprising: a pair of mutually parallel spaced apart substantiallyvertical side members extending over a length of a coke oven chamber; amultiplicity of coal entrainers spaced apart over the lengths of saidside members, extending transversely between said side members,connected to said side members and occupying only a part of a crosssectional area of the leveling bar, said coal entrainers having heightsof the entire spacing between said side members which are at most halfthe height of said side members; a baffle-free gas passage formed insaid leveling bar between said side members and above said coalentrainers over substantially the length of said leveling bar; and saidcoal entrainers being movably fastened on said side members.
 15. Aleveling bar for a coking oven, comprising: a pair of mutually parallelspaced apart substantially vertical side members extending over a lengthof a coke oven chamber; a multiplicity of coal entrainers spaced apartover the lengths of said side members, extending transversely betweensaid side members, connected to said side members and occupying only apart of a cross sectional area of the leveling bar, said coal entrainershaving heights of the entire spacing between said side members which areat most half the height of said side members; a baffle-free gas passageformed in said leveling bar between said side members and above saidcoal entrainers over substantially the length of said leveling bar; andmovable coal scrapers on said side members.
 16. A leveling bar for acoking oven, comprising: a pair of mutually parallel spaced apartsubstantially vertical side members extending over a length of a cokeoven chamber; a multiplicity of coal entrainers spaced apart over thelengths of said side members, extending transversely between said sidemembers, connected to said side members and occupying only a part of across sectional area of the leveling bar, said coal entrainers havingheights of the entire spacing between said side members which are atmost half the height of said side members; a baffle-free gas passageformed in said leveling bar between said side members and above saidcoal entrainers over substantially the length of said leveling bar; andfluid conduits with nozzles arranged on said side members.